Whatever Misto Wants, Misto Gets
by anonymousauthor406
Summary: Mistoffelees has his heart set on Munkustrap, but this time he's the one doing the chasing and he's not quite sure of how to go about doing that...
1. History

**_A/N:_** _This one is for kathknight, who requested/challenged me to write this. Hope you enjoy it hon!_

* * *

"Look, Misto, if you sit here on that sparkly little ass of yours hoping he notices you someday you'll never get him to notice you," Tugger said with an encouraging smile.

"But what if he doesn't like toms? Or worse, what if he does and he doesn't like me?" I asked, looking down into the clearing behind the TSE1. "And what was that about my ass?"

"Only that it's absolutely adorable," he said before putting a peck on my cheek. I gave him a look, but he sat there smiling at me and I couldn't stay mad at him.

"Seriously Tug? You're still hitting on me?" I said with a chuckle.

"Come on Misto. Just because it didn't work out between us means we have to be any different than we were before. Hell, I'm giving you advice on how to hook up with my own brother for Everlasting's sake!"

I sighed as we smiled sadly at each other, both of us remembering all the good times we'd shared. We'd grown up together, been each other's first kiss, first romance, and we'd even given each other our virginity. It had been a whirlwind romance to say the least. For me, it began when we were both still kittens, only a few weeks away from becoming toms and attending our first Ball. We'd been alone, chatting late into the night, as we often did, when we both sheepishly admitted to not actually having had our first kiss. Naturally, then, the most logical thing for us to do was to solve that problem. It was simple and tender, but it was enough for me to fall madly in love with Tugger. Later on he'd admit that he'd fallen in love with me then as well. We ended up hooking up during the Ball and becoming an item after that. While we were together we were mating like crazy, twice, maybe even thrice, a day. We'd be seen all over the yard kissing and touching, never out of the other's sight for more than an hour at a time.

Eventually, the inferno of passion became a blaze, the blaze a fire, and eventually the fire nothing more than smouldering embers. We still loved each other, but more as brothers and best friends than mates. It just didn't have that something that made it so special in the beginning. We decided it was best to stop fooling ourselves and admit that it just wasn't going to work out for us. Of course that didn't exactly stop us from the occasional late night visit, but we agreed those would stop as well. We hadn't exactly determined _when_ we would stop, but neither of us was in a particular hurry for that to occur.

I leaned in and nuzzled him, before giving him a little peck on his jaw. "You're right Tug. But we can't be doing this anymore if-"

"You know I'd never do that to you or my brother."

"I know," I said as I rested my head on his chest. "Thank you Tug."

"For what?"

"For everything. I can't think of anyone who'd be able to sit here like this, knowing what you know," I replied, looking up into his eyes.

He pushed me away and looked directly into me. "I made you a promise the night we got together. I promised you I'd be there for you, no matter what happened. I plan to keep that promise. Besides, now that we're not a thing anymore I've been getting so much extra action it isn't even-" I shut him up with a playful swat to his chest. Nobody ever understood how we were still friends. They saw how cavalier he was about our separation and they all assumed he'd dumped me and that I was so in love with him I couldn't stand to see him vilified for it. They never saw this side of Tugger. The side that genuinely cared for others. Only a select few ever saw it. "So have you figured out how you're going to tell him yet?"

"No, not yet. I was originally planning to just say it straight out, but now I'm not so sure," I responded, embarrassed, as I thoroughly investigated a small paint chip on the boot lid.

"Why not? I'm fairly certain that being direct with you worked out pretty well for me."

I rolled my eyes, it was amazing (and slightly annoying) how he could be so typically Tugger and still be right. "You expect me to walk up to him and say: hey tux, wanna bang?"

"Oh come on, I had a _little_ more finesse than that!"

"Maybe in your mind, but that's all I heard."

"Maybe you were just hearing what you wanted to." There it was again. Tugger being Tugger and still being right.

"That still doesn't address him not liking toms and slash or not liking me."

"I can say fairly certainly that he does."

"And how would you know that? He's never been seen with anyone other than Demeter."

"Let's just say Alonzo may have slightly embarrassed himself the other night..."

"You're hooking up with Alonzo now?" I asked irritably. It wasn't that he was with someone else now that annoyed me so much as that he'd just been with me the night before, and hadn't exactly been forthcoming with that information. I didn't even catch the implication of what Tugger had said. "And what would Alonzo possibly say that- oh." My eyes widened as I caught on.

"I didn't say anything because I don't know if it's going anywhere. Besides, he told me our hookups aren't as much of a secret as we think they are, so he wasn't expecting exclusivity."

"Fine. Anyway, are you saying he...?"

"Called out the wrong name? Yup. Called it out clear as a bell. Not gonna lie it was kinda hot to think about how we-"

"Moving on Tugger," I said, really not wanting to know how that statement was going to end. "This still doesn't answer the second part."

"Oh come on Misto! You are the most stunning tom in the yard, aside from me of course. Your coat is soft and has a sheen to it that none of the others can match. Your body is... well... I think you know where I'm going there. On top of it all you're one of the most independent toms in the yard, all the while managing to be one of the nicest. There's no way he won't be interested." I felt my cheeks burning as he spoke. Even after everything, he still knew how to make me feel special. "Now, let's get you your tom."


	2. Just Ask

I sat there, arms crossed over my chest, listening as Tugger detailed his plan to me. There were a few surprises, but I knew him very well and most of his plan was rather predictable. "Listen, Tug, I appreciate you coming up with this plan, but it just seems a bit overly complicated, don't you think? How exactly am I supposed to get my paws on an orchestra, a da Vinci, two hundred white roses, an original pressing of the White Album, AND Marilyn Monroe's wedding ring?"

"Well it's either this or you just, I don't know, TALK TO HIM LIKE ANYONE ELSE, and you seem pretty dead set on not going with that particular option. Besides can't you just magic all that stuff here anyway?"

"You know that's not how it works Tug."

"It doesn't? Well damn, guess you're stuck TALKING TO HIM."

"I've never done this before Tug. How do I even approach him?" I asked, embarrassed.

"Misto, I'd never done anything with anyone before you. All I did was say what felt natural at the time, and look how well it worked out for us. You'll be fine Misto."

"That's completely different! You and I had a long history before that night. Munk and I-"

"Speak of the devil!" Tugger interrupted, pointing down to the entrance of the clearing where Munkustrap had just appeared. "Showtime kit!"

"Wha-" Before I had the chance to finish my question I felt Tugger pushing me off the TSE1, down into the clearing. Luckily I managed to land on my paws and not my face. I turned to give Tugger a piece of my mind, but he'd already vanished by the time I had. I sighed and rolled my eyes, accepting the fact that he was Tugger and that was just how he operated.

I looked back over to where Munkustrap was standing, surrounded by all the kittens as they greeted and nuzzled him affectionately. I felt my heart skip a beat as he smiled and greeted each one. Of course, the sun shining on his silver fur didn't exactly hurt the image either. I swallowed my nerves as best I could, and walked over to him once the kittens had gone on to play.

I very nearly lost my nerve as I approached him and could see his shimmering green eyes and toned muscles. "Hey Munk," I said awkwardly. _Smooth Misto. Real smooth there._

"Good afternoon Mistoffelees. How are you?" he asked with a kind smile. I knew his smile was meant to put me at ease, but it just made it all the more difficult find the words I needed.

"I'm alright. How are doing today?"

"I'm doing well, thank you. Something on your mind or did you just feel like saying hi?"

"Bit of both, I guess? I was just wondering if maybe you'd want to hunt with me tonight?" I spoke with as much confidence as I could muster, but it didn't amount to much.

"I'd love to, but I was actually planning on leaving the junkyard to Alonzo tonight. It's been a while since I last went out and I figured I could use the break."

"Oh okay. Maybe another time then."

"Or you could come with me tonight. I'd love the company."

"Really? If you're sure, I'd like that."

"Of course I'm sure! I'll meet you here right around sunset Misto. I've got some things to take care of now, but I'll be looking forward to tonight. See you later," he said with a grin.

"Me too." I said, trying to keep my voice steady as we parted ways.

As I walked towards my den, I knew I should be feeling elated and excited, but all I could feel were nervous butterflies in my stomach. I entered my den lost in thought, and nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw Tugger lounging on my blankets.

"It seems things have worked out rather fortuitously for you tux," he said as he examined his claws demurely. "And to think you were afraid of even speaking to him."

"How- where- wh- huh?" I spluttered, trying to form a coherent question.

"How do I know? I was spying on you naturally. Where was I? Far enough that you wouldn't notice, close enough to swoop in if you were about to blow it. When did I get here? Only a few moments ago. I'm assuming that's what the third question you were attempting ask was. Unless of course you were asking why, which I won't bother answering because we went over all that earlier."

I gave up trying to figure things out and laid down on my blankets, making a point of not getting to close to him. "So what do I do now? I know I should be excited about tonight, but I'm just terrified.

"Of course you're not excited and are terrified. You're the one who did the asking. You've never been on a date with him. You don't know what it'll be like or how you'll behave or how he'll behave. All you can do now is make the best of whatever comes."

"How do I do that?"

"I can't tell you that Misto. Even if I knew the answer I wouldn't tell you. I want to help you as much as I can, and simply telling you what to do isn't helpful. You're your own tom now. When we were together we belonged to each other. Now you belong only to yourself and you have to be strong of your on volition. I'll be here for you to support you every step of the way, but you've got to do this yourself. Now." he said as he stood, "I really should be on my way. You have a date to prepare for."


	3. The Alley

I took nervous breaths as I waited for Munkustrap to arrive. I'd groomed myself 5 times in the past hour, making sure my fur was absolutely perfect. I couldn't help but fidget and shuffle about, restless and more than a little impatient. Part of me worried that he was standing me up, but I quickly put the thought from my mind. Munkustrap wasn't the sort who would do such a thing. Thankfully I didn't have to wait much longer before he arrived. He looked absolutely stunning as he approached me in the evening light.

"Hey Mistoffelees, you're looking quite good this evening."

I blushed as I replied, "You're not looking half bad yourself Munk." We stood there awkwardly for a moment, waiting for the other to speak. "So, um, where are we headed tonight?"

"I was thinking we might find something near the West End and then head over to the Theatre Royal. I think you'll rather enjoy the performance there this evening."

"Oh? What is it?"

"I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, now would I?" he said with a wink. "Shall we? We wouldn't want to be late." I'd expected him to offer me his arm as Tugger had any time we'd gone out, but he didn't. I was a more than a little disappointed, despite the innocuity of the gesture. It made me realize that maybe Munkustrap wasn't seeing this as a date at all. Maybe he just thought we were two friends out for the night. I sighed inwardly before catching up with him and following him out of the junkyard.

We made our way through the streets without saying much. I kept trying to think of things that we could talk about, but I came up empty handed every time. Eventually we made our way into an alley that was full of every scent imaginable. I hadn't thought of myself as being particularly hungry when we'd left the junkyard, but just being in this alley was making my mouth water and my stomach rumble. Tugger had taken me to a number of alleys like this one, but none of the could ever compare to this one.

"Where are we Munkustrap? It smells heavenly..." I purred as my eyes fell shut.

"Covent Garden. The pubs here are some of the best in all of London. Can't imagine my brother ever brought you anywhere like this. This really isn't his kind of place." I wasn't sure if that was meant to be a simple statement or a jab, but I shrugged it of because it was true either way. He leapt up onto a wall and I followed suit. "Now just wait here. I'll go get us some dinner." I nodded and sat down to wait for him to return. This night wasn't a total wreck yet. The food would be lovely and Munkustrap didn't seem uncomfortable. Maybe it was just me that was feeling that anything was off. Then there was that nagging reminder that Munkustrap probably wasn't even thinking of this as a date. Did that mean he wasn't interested in me? Before I could think any longer he returned with what smelled like fish, but appeared to be covered in a strange, flaky coating. He saw my inquisitive look and smiled. "Don't worry, it is fish. It's best hot though, so you'll want to dig in," he said as he gave me a large piece. I took a bite and my mouth was filled with flavours I'd never tasted before. He must have noticed my purr because he began laughing. "I told you so, Misto!"

"Everlasting, how did you find this place?"

"I came here once with- someone." His expression changed momentarily when he faltered, obviously covering up something.

"Oh. I see." I had a sneaking suspicion I knew who that someone was, but Munkustrap obviously didn't want me to.

"I'm sorry, I told myself... Bast, I told myself I wouldn't get emotional," he said, blinking profusely, obviously fighting back tears.

"It's alright Munkustrap, you can talk to me if you think it'll help." I put a paw on his shoulder and gave him my most reassuring look. "You're always there for everyone else, let me be here for you."

"No, it's fine. I'll be fine."

"Don't lie to me Munk. It's not healthy to keep all that bottled up inside you."

He sighed and I saw a tear fall from his eye. "I thought I was okay with it. I thought I'd made my peace with us breaking up, but then I saw them with someone else and it just tore me apart. Maybe it hurt more because it was someone close to me, I don't really know. I just... miss them, you know?" My heart sank as he spoke. It was Alonzo he was talking about, and he obviously still had feelings for him. I pulled him into a hug, and he rested his head on my shoulder. "How did you manage it with Tugger? Everyone still sees you two together all the time. There's even rumors that..."

"It was a weird situation with Tugger to begin with Munk. We just sort of... fell in and then out of love with each other." I hadn't realized it until then, but I'd never really talked to anyone about breaking up with Tugger. "It's hard to explain really, but we both agreed that that kind of relationship wasn't what was best for us."

"How do you deal with the thought of him seeing someone else though?"

I had no idea of how to answer that. I knew he'd been seeing Alonzo, but if I mentioned it it could make things worse for Munk. "It's just the way it as to be. There's nothing I can do about it. I've just had to accept that. I wish I could tell you there was some secret to not feeling anything about it, but there isn't."

Munkustrap stayed there a moment longer before pulling away and drying his eyes. "Thank you Mistoffelees. I... I guess I really needed to talk to somebody about it. We really should get going though. I don't want us to miss the show."


	4. The Ballet

We walked side by side through Covent Park until we reached Drury Lane and slipped into the spectacular theatre. The sheer size and grandeur of the theatre had me breathless. We'd snuck in through one of the rear doors and were immediately caught up in the backstage whirlwind. We darted our way through the sea of dancers, props, and sets out to the house and up to an empty box on the fourth floor. From our perch we could look down on the humans as they chattered, waiting for the show to begin.

"What is this place Munkustrap?" I asked, starry eyed.

"This is the Theatre Royal. The humans assemble here every few nights to watch each other sing and dance and play music. The stories they tell, the music they create... It's simply incredible," he said with a distant look on his face, plainly reliving his memories of the theatre.

"It's the same every time?"

"Oh Heavyside no. That's the beauty of it all. Even when they're performing the same show it's never the same. Just like every Ball is unique, every one of these is unique. This performance, though, I heard the humans speaking of. It's meant to be one of the most beautiful of all."

"What is it?"

"It's called Swan Lake."

The lights dimmed, voices hushed, and the orchestra began to play. The curtain raised and I was taken into another world. The first dances were riveting, but it wasn't until the prince first approached Odette that I was truly enthralled. The way she spoke with her body was a sight to behold. I could feel her fear as the prince approached her. Even after he'd laid down his crossbow I could sense her nervousness. The way the emotion flowed from their bodies was utterly intoxicating. I couldn't pull my eyes away for even a moment throughout the performance. My heart broke for Odette at the close of act three, and I found myself blinking back tears.

Act four, though, was the most beautiful of all. Watching them dance and expressing their love was encapsulating. As they danced the finale I turned and faced Munkstrap. I could see on his face that he was equally captivated and, if I wasn't mistaken, quite smitten and enamored with the story. He looked so innocent, so loving. If I'd had any doubts about my feelings for him before then, they were long gone.

As the curtain fell, we were both drying tears from our eyes, hoping the other wasn't noticing. We slipped out the same door we'd entered through, not saying a word. The moment we'd exited the theatre, we were both gushing.

"Everlasting that was amazing Munkustrap! The développés, the jetés and grand jetés! Bast, what I wouldn't give to be able to dance like that. All of them with such perfect synchronicity! And the prince! Even his pirouettes were absolutely sublime!"

Munkustrap chuckled as he led us to our next destination. "I think the only things I understood there were the part about how synchronized they were and the bit about the prince's twirls being really good. But I'll take your word for all of it."

"Oh, right. I get a bit carried away when it comes to dance..." I blushed brightly and hung my head.

I felt Munkustrap's paw beneath my chin as he raised my head up again. "It's alright. It's endearing," he said, giving me a little touch on the nose. "Now come on, there's one last thing I want to show you." He led me through the streets of London, into a large building and up to its roof. He led me to the edge and showed me the square below. For the second time that night I felt myself completely breathless, stunned by the view before me. Below there were humans bustling around in the glow of neon lights, and there was a sea of twinkling street lamps as far as the eye could see. We sat there on the edge of the roof, looking out at the view.

"Where are we Munk?" I asked, trying to drink it all in at once.

"This is Picadilly Circus. It's beautiful here, isn't it?" I couldn't find the words to describe the wonder I was feeling, so I merely nodded my affirmation. "I always thought that one day I'd be here with..." His voice trailed off and I could see the emotion written on his face. I took his paw in mine and gave him a gentle nuzzle. I laid my head on his shoulder, resting my free paw on his knee. I felt him nuzzling me back as we sat there together looking out at the world before us. It felt like we'd truly escaped from the world and were looking down with the eyes of the Everlasting, observing the machinations working away. Any worries, any cares, just seemed to melt away into the dark. In those moments nothing else mattered. It was just the two of us, there, together. Eventually Munk broke the serene silence. "It's rather late now Misto. We really ought to be heading back to the yard."

"Just a few moments more?"

"Alright."

"Thank you Munk."

"What for?"

"For all of this tonight. The food, the ballet, and now this spectacular view. It's been beautiful. All of it." I looked up into his eyes and saw him smiling at me.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it Misto. I loved it too," he said as he put his arm around my shoulders.

Maybe it was the way he looked in the glow of the light, maybe it was the beauty of where we were, maybe it was something else, but before I knew what I was doing, something took hold of me and I closed the gap between us and pressed our lips together.


	5. The Rooftop

It was little more than a peck at first. Our lips met gently and I put my paw on his cheek. When he didn't pull away I leaned in further, kissing him even harder. His lips were soft and felt perfect against mine. Every fiber of my being yearned to feel his touch, his body against mine, but I held myself back. My eyes fluttered open as I felt him pulling away, and putting his paw over mine and moving it away from his cheek.

"I'm sorry Munk... I thought-" I spoke sadly until he raised a paw to silence me.

"No, Misto... It's alright." To my surprise he spoke just as nervously as I did. "I just think we need to talk about this before this becomes anything. I know I felt something just now, but I still haven't figured everything out now that I'm not with Lon-" He froze as he realized what he was about to say.

"It's alright, Munk. I already know. I know about Tugger too. I wanted to say something more about it earlier but I didn't want to drag it out for you. Tugger only told me because I was too scared to ask you out."

He put his head in his paws, and I could hear his voice breaking as he spoke. "Why does all of this have to be so damn confusing? Alonzo and I are done. He's moved on and is at least screwing Tugger now, if not more. Now I think I might be having feelings for you and if that was any indicator you have feelings for me too. I should be happy. I should be... I don't even know..."

I put my paw on his back and rubbed it gently. "Nothing about these things is ever easy. I think part of it is that you're afraid of coming and and accepting yourself, isn't it? That's why you didn't want me to know it was Alonzo that broke your heart. Why you two were never public about your relationship." He nodded, not lifting his head. "It's okay Munk. It's not something that you can just accept. It changes the way you look at yourself and at those around you."

"I was hoping it was just a phase or something. That maybe I just wanted to try something different and that somehow Alonzo and I would just sort of move on like you and Tugger did and that I'd just end up with Dem or Cas or Teazer or Vic and go on with my life like everyone else," he said shakily, crying freely.

"Why can't you do that with any of the toms? Nobody said a word when Tugger and I came out. There's no reason to be ashamed."

"I don't know... I just..." He gave up trying to speak and I pulled him into a hug and he rested his head on my shoulder for the second time that evening and wept. I sat there holding him until he'd wept his last tear and dried his eyes. "Thank you Mistoffelees. I'm sorry you-"

This time I was the one who did the silencing. "Stop it, Munk. It's alright. You haven't had anyone to talk to. No shoulder to cry on. I'm just happy I could be there for you."

"I guess that just leaves us then."

"We don't have to do this now if you don't want to Munk. I-"

"No, I want to. I want... us. I'm just nervous. After everything with Lonz and all the rest of it I'm just a bit... nervous."

I put my paw on his cheek. "It's okay Munk. I understand. We can go a slow as you want. We can keep this just between us as long as you want."

"Okay," he said shyly as he blushed. I closed the gap between us and pressed our lips together again. This time I could feel him kissing back and he brought one paw up to my cheek and caressed me with the other. There was no lisciviousness in this kiss, no lechery. No dancing tongues or muted moans as there had been with Tugger. It was just the two of us, together. I felt myself wanting him again, but it was different this time. I didn't just want his body, I wanted him. I wanted to feel him curled up beside me on a cold winter's night. I wanted to see his face when I woke in the morning. I didn't know what future we had together or where life would take us, but I didn't care. As long as I had him it wouldn't matter.

This time I was the one to break the kiss. As much as I wished we could stay on that rooftop together, I knew we had to return. "I guess we should head back now." We walked back arm in arm until we reached the outer fence of the junkyard. "I'll see you in the morning then, Munk?" I asked nervously.

"I'd like that. I don't quite know how to explain it but I just feel... safe with you Misto."

"I feel the same with you." We leaned in and kissed again passionately. I felt his paws running through my fur and I matched him touch for touch, savouring our final moments of privacy, neither of us in a hurry to return. We quietly slipped over the fence and back into the junkyard and made our way back to the dens. We didn't speak a word, for fear of waking anyone. "I'll see you in the morning Munk," I said with a small smile when we'd reached the entrance to my den.

He looked around, quickly surveying the area before turning back to me and planting one last kiss on my lips. "Goodnight Misto. See you in the morning."


	6. The Aftermath

I could feel the blush in my cheeks as I entered my den. My heart was still fluttering from our last kiss. I was so preoccupied that once again I failed to notice that I wasn't quite as alone as I'd thought.

"You're home awfully late Mistoffelees," a familiar voice drawled from my blankets.

"Bast, Tugger! You're going to give me a heart attack! What are you even doing here?" I asked as I laid out on the blankets next to him.

"Well I thought I'd see how your little date night went." He leaned in and sniffed at my fur curiously. "From that scent hanging on you and the look on your face when you walked in, it would appear that it went very well. Very well indeed."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. I really don't know what I was expecting from Tugger. "It was an absolutely lovely evening Tugger. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep now," I said exasperatedly.

"Nope. Not until you tell me why you smell like you've been bathing in Munk's musk."

"We went on a date Tugger. We've been together all night. Of course I'm going to smell like him."

"All night you say? I never thought my brother was such a stud."

"You know I didn't mean it that way."

"I know. But I just love to see you all ruffled up." He leaned in to kiss my cheek, but I stopped him short and pushed him back.

"We can't do this anymore Tug."

"Do what Misto?"

"This whole friends with benefits thing. You know I'd never give up on our relationship, but we have to be just friends now. No more of this middle ground stuff."

"Everlasting it did go well for you! You're completely serious about him!"

I wasn't sure how to respond to Tugger. He was right, obviously, but I'd just promised Munkustrap that I'd keep our relationship a secret. Then again, just because I was serious about him didn't mean that he was necessarily serious about me.

"Yes Tug, I am."

His face fell slightly and only for a moment, but I caught it, before he carried on. "Well then I guess I should be happy for you. What's your next step then?"

"My next step is kicking you out and getting some sleep. I already told you, I'm exhausted."

He stood and put his hands in the air as he began walking towards the entrance of my den. "Alright, alright I'll go. But you'll have to answer one more question for me. Easy question. Yes or no will suffice."

"Fine," I grumbled without looking at him. I draped my paw and forearm over my eyes and resigned myself to his final question. "What is it?"

"Did you kiss him?" I couldn't see his face, but I could hear in his voice that despite whatever facade he would be wearing, he would be genuinely affected by my answer.

"Yes Tugger, I did."

"Oh. Well, um, goodnight Mistoffelees. Sleep well." I heard him dart out of my den before I had the chance to respond. I sat up, wondering if I shouldn't go after him. I could count on one paw the number of times he'd ever called me by my full name, and every single one of those occasions was marked with a serious occurrence.

As much as I wanted to chase after him, I thought the better of it. I may not have wanted to admit it, but I knew full well what had upset him and it was eating me up. Even after everything, he still had feelings for me. He hadn't even known it himself. He wouldn't have been so helpful otherwise. Unless he had and was anyway. That hurt me more than anything; the thought that he might still love me so much that he'd give up any chance with me to see me happy. My heart broke at the thought, knowing that it probably was the case.

I knew I shouldn't feel guilty. We'd agreed that it was better to move on and just be friends. Hell, he'd even told me about how he'd been shagging Alonzo. Even after that, though, I still couldn't help but hurt for him. When we'd split we'd done it so we could both be happy. I laid back on my blankets and tried to force the thoughts from my mind. He wanted me to be happy. But he wanted me to be happy with him. But I was happy with him. Just not in that way any more. I wanted him to be happy too. I just couldn't be the one to do it anymore. I just didn't feel that way about him anymore.

I closed my eyes and thought of the night I'd had. I thought of the fish in the alley, the ballet in the theatre, and the kiss on the rooftop above Piccadilly. I thought of the way I felt when Munkustrap and I had kissed. I felt the butterflies in my stomach again and the phantom touch of his lips on mine. Underneath it all I felt another pang of guilt though, as I thought about Tugger again. But he had Alonzo now, and I had Munkustrap. It would all work out in the end. It always did. This would eat me alive if I allowed it to so I again forced it from my mind.

I thought of Munkustrap again as I felt myself beginning to fade into sleep. I thought of his arms wrapping around me and pulling me close to his chest, keeping me safe. I imagined him kissing my forehead and holding me as we drifted off to sleep in each other's arms. Just imagining him there was enough to comfort me and soon I felt myself drifting off to sleep.


	7. The Park

I awoke rather late the following morning and stretched as I stood from my blankets. Despite my inner turmoil before I fell asleep, I'd slept soundly and was feeling rather well refreshed, though a pick peckish. I left my den and quickly caught myself a nicely sized breakfast, which I finished a bit more quickly than I'd like to admit. Now that I was awake and my belly was full I was excited to go find Munkustrap, but I paused before I set off. How exactly was I supposed to handle everything? We were an item, but I couldn't exactly go around broadcasting that fact. I was more than happy to keep it a secret as long as Munkstrap wanted to, but I had no idea of how to make that work.

I made my way to the main clearing and saw him sitting on his father's tire, crocheting. He looked up from his work and despite his trying to hide it I caught the way his face lit up when he saw me. He set down his crocheting and ducked out of the clearing. At first I was confused by his behavior, but I quickly realized (though not as quickly as I should have) that he had gone into the neighboring clearing and was probably waiting for me. I made my way over as quickly as I could without raising suspicion and found him waiting there for me alone. Before he could say a word I had my arms around him and my lips on his.

"Well good morning to you too Misto," he said with a cheeky grin on his face.

"Good morning Munk," I replied before giving him another quick peck on the lips.

"Listen, Misto... I've be doing a lot of thinking about this. About us."

I knew immediately I was not going to like what came next. "I understand Munk. It's okay..." I hung my head, waiting to hear what I knew was coming next.

"Thank you Mistoffelees, that makes this a lot easier to say. I haven't made this decision lightly you know. I wanted to be sure before I said anything." He paused and took a depth breath, and I steadied myself for the blow he was about to deliver. "I think... the yard can do without me for the afternoon and I was hoping you'd let me take you to secret place in St. James's Park that I like to go to," he said with with an impish grin.

"You son of a pollicle and utter, utter, bastard!" I hissed, swatting at his chest. "You made me think you were having second thoughts about us!"

"And you should've seen the look on your face! Everlasting I think I may be an even better actor than Gus!" He had to force out the words through his laughter.

"You're gonna pay for that."

"Oh am I?"

"Yeah," I said with a smirk before I pounced on him. I pinned him to the ground and kissed him a few times before sitting up, still straddling him. "There. I think you've learned your lesson."

"If that's the lesson, I can't wait for the exam," he said cheekily. "I take it you'll be joining me then?"

"If I must," I replied with faux exasperation as I rolled my eyes and climbed off him. We stood and he gave me a quick kiss before taking my paw in his.

"Shall we?" I nodded and we snuck out over the fence. As we made our way through London towards the park Munkustrap pointed out his favorite haunts and landmarks, each location having it's own story. I never had the heart to tell him that Tugger and I had been to most of the landmarks he pointed out, so I just smiled and listened to him tell the was something new I was learning about Munkustrap. He always led the retelling of a story or two at the Ball, but after the night before and the journey we were on, I'd begun to realize that for some reason, he simply enjoyed telling stories.

When we'd made it to St. James's he led me to a quiet little patch of grass beside the lake, completely hidden from the rest of the park. We laid down on the grass, his arm around me and my head resting on his chest.

"Can I ask you something Munk?"

"I think we're beyond the point where you need to ask that question Misto." I was still looking out at the lake and the rest of the park, but I could picture the half genuine, half cheeky grin I knew he'd be wearing.

"Why do you love telling stories so much? You always have the retellings at the ball, and you had so many to tell on the way here today and when we were in the West End last night. I'm not criticizing by any means, I'm genuinely curious since you do love them."

"Stories give us something to connect with, something to believe in, beyond just ourselves. Stories from history remind us where we came from. Fairytales give us hope and remind us of how innocent we were when we were kittens. Stories pull us out of ourselves and, just for a while, let us forget about any worries we have."

"That was beautiful Munk, thank you." I turned my head and kissed his jaw before again resting it on his torso. "Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

"There is _one_ thing I've always wanted to know... It might be a bit personal so I understand if you don't want to tell me just yet."

"I trust you Munk. Ask me whatever you like." I couldn't imagine what he could possibly be so nervous about asking. Something about mating? He didn't seem like the type to be shy about those things though.

"Umm... well... I was, uh, wondering how you managed to... you know..."

"How I managed to what, Munk?" I rolled over so I could look at him, and could see his nervousness plastered all over his face.

"Nevermind... it's silly..."

"No, Munk, really. Ask me. I promise you I'll tell you the truth, no judgements, whatever it is."

"Ok then... I guess I just wanted to know how you managed... to have such a fucking perfect ass?"


	8. The Lake

I swatted his chest playfully, and scrunched up my face in faux anger. "We were having a serious moment there Munk!"

"Who's not being serious? I'm very seriously asking about something I'm very serious about!" He said as he grabbed one cheek and slapped the other. Before I could respond he'd covered my mouth with his own. He kept one paw firmly on my ass, but allowed the other to roam up and down my back as we kissed. He rolled us over so he was on top and began caressing my torso. I allowed him to keep me there a for a short while, before I rolled us over again and was back on top.

"That's the last time that gets you off Munk," I said playfully as I pulled away from him.

"Speaking of getting off..." he replied with a smirk, before thrusting up at me and rolling us over once again, pinning me to the ground and grinding our hips together as I purred in delight.

"What happened to taking it slow?" I asked heatedly as I pressed myself up against him, ready for whatever he had in mind.

"Fuck that," he said wickedly before leaning in and kissing and biting at my neck. I moaned and reared up at his touch, feeling my whole body quiver at his touch.

"Well in that case..." I attempted to roll myself back on top, but ended up getting a little more than I bargained for. Neither of us had been paying enough attention to where we were, and I rolled us over the edge of the incline we'd been laying on and sent us tumbling down towards the lake. Before either of us even knew what was happening, we hit the water with a splash and sank beneath the surface. We surfaced next to each other, spluttering. "Well I guess that's killed the mood then," I lied, embarrassed that not only was I still turned on, but that I was really rather curious about what it would feel like to mate underwater. It was shallow enough for us to stand, after all.

"Um... well... I guess..." Munkustrap said, looking rather embarrassed himself. He looked absolutely adorable there, dripping wet and embarrassed, presumably for the same reasons I was. I smirked at him and took a deep breath before plunging myself under. I found my way to his crotch and exhaled as I slipped his member into my mouth, just to make sure I didn't get any water in with it. I was only able to give it a few swirls with my tongue before I had to surface for air. I could see the heat in his eyes, and I stole a quick kiss before I slipped back under. I felt his member firming up as I continued his underwater servicing. I raked my claws up and down his thighs, and felt him thrust further into my mouth as I did. I wrapped my paw around him and began stroking when I surfaced again. "Everlasting Misto..." he groaned. "How are you so good at that?"

"Practice, darling. Now I'm assuming you know how to prep me, right?"

"I was sort of hoping that maybe you'd finish me and then... you know..." he said timidly.

"Are you asking me to top?" I asked gently. He nodded sheepishly. "Did you ever try this with Alonzo?"

"We did once."

"Okay so you kind of know what to expect. I'll start prepping you while I finish you off, okay?" He nodded and I dove under. I took him into my mouth again, simultaneously slipping a finger into him. I rocked it back and forth as I swirled my tongue around the tip of his erection, catching some of his pre-cum as I did. When I felt him beginning to throb slipped a second finger into him and surfaced once again. His eyes were closed and he was purring at the motion of my fingers so I dipped down one last time. I began scissoring my fingers inside him after I'd taken him into my mouth, and not a moment later my mouth was filled with his warm release. I kept sucking at him, drawing out every last drop and swallowing before I surfaced. "Are you ready?" He nodded. "Okay," I said as I pulled out my fingers. "Why don't you find whatever position you want to try and I'll follow your lead?" He waded closer to the shore and bent over, resting his hands on the soft earth of the shore and elevating his hips so they were just beneath the surface, before swishing his tail aside to reveal his entrance. "Naughty, naughty," I said with a smirk as I aligned myself.

"Oh Bast... Misto..." he moaned as I pressed into him, both of us enjoying the added feel of the water filling him as well. Careful not to hurt him, I rocked in and out slowly at first, watching him closely. "Misto please... More..." I pressed in harder, forcing my member all the way into him, hitting his pleasure spot, and making him cry out. "Everlasting, more!" As I continued thrusting into him I reached one paw around and began stroking his renewed erection and used the other paw to pull him back onto me, forcing myself even deeper into him. Despite the water, he was hot and tight and that, along with his eagerness to have me inside him, was pushing me towards my own brink rather quickly. I forced myself into his pleasure spot again and again, bringing us both closer and closer to orgasm. After the fifth hit he cried out my name again and came all over my hand, clenching around me and sending me over the edge as well.

I pulled out slowly, watching the remnants of my orgasm leaking out into the water as I did, and we laid down on the bank next to each other. I licked my paw clean as we caught our breath.

"Misto, there's something you should know."

"What is it Munk?"

"I sort of lied to you earlier..."

"What do you mean?"

"When I told you Alonzo and I tried this once, I was lying. This was my first time Misto."


	9. The Rooftop (Reprise)

"As in your first time bottoming? Or do you mean your first time with a tom?"

"This was my first time mating, period," he said timidly, looking away from me.

"You mean you and Demeter...?" I asked softly.

"No, we never did either. I let Alonzo... you know... a few times and I did it a to him a couple times too, but that's it. I'd never actually gone all the way before," he said, still not looking at me.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of hon," I said, putting my paw on his cheek and turning him to face me. "It says a lot that you were willing to give me your virginity." Part of me quietly wished that I could've given him mine too, but I didn't want to dwell on what couldn't be changed.

"Listen, Misto... I know I said I wanted to takes things slowly last night, but after all this I think I... no. I know I love you." He started off unsure of himself, but by the time he'd finished there wasn't a hint of doubt in his voice.

"I love you too Munk," I said before closing the gap between us and kissing him. I put my arms around his still dripping wet body and pulled him down on top of me. We stayed there a while, lips never parting for an instant, Everlasting only knows how long it actually was.

Munkustrap broke the kiss, and suggested that we might want to groom ourselves and try to dry off before evening fell and it got too cold. We sat there on the grass grooming each other as the sun slowly dipped towards the horizon. We took our time with it, though. Neither of us admitted it out loud, but we both were enjoying this quiet and intimate time together. Every so often we'd find ourselves looking into each other's eyes and sharing another kiss before continuing our grooming. Even after we were both obviously done, we continued gently kissing and nipping at each other's bodies, savouring each sensation.

"Misto, would you like to go back to that alley for dinner?" Munkustrap asked, a little shyly. Everlasting only knew why he was still so shy. It was adorable and endearing, but I couldn't help but feel that somehow he still wasn't sure of himself, especially in the romance and dating department.

"I'd love to. Maybe we could go to Piccadilly after?"

"That sounds perfect. I guess we should be going then?" We stood and left St. James's Park walking paw in paw. We didn't say much, but then again we rarely did on those long walks through London. We never really needed to. Munkustrap's stories passed the time and just being their with each other, away from the junkyard was enough for us. We made our way to the alley and sat down on the same wall we had the night before. "I'll go find us some more of what we had last night, okay love?" he asked, blushing slightly as he finished the question. I nodded and kissed him again, and he scampered off to fetch our dinner.

While he was away I sat there thinking about the last twenty-four hours. Within those hours we'd gone from acquaintances to dating and now we were lovers and madly in love with each other. I was at least. It seemed like he was too, but was still rather nervous and innocent when it came to these things. _Well, he's not_ that _innocent now is he?_ I thought as I smirked inwardly. _He's a keeper Misto. You don't want to ever lose him._ I shook my head a bit, trying to clear those thoughts from my head. We'd only been together a day, and it sounded like my mind was already thinking about matehood. _That's far too quick Misto. Even if you're sure about it, you'll scare him off. He's not ready for that yet..._

"Misto?" I'd been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed him return with the fish. He was holding some out to me and wearing a concerned look on his face. "Are you alright darling?"

"Oh yes, I'm fine love. I just was a bit caught up in my thoughts, that's all." I took the fish he was offering and leaned up to give him another quick kiss. "This smells even better than it did last night and... oh Bast... it tastes even better too..." I'm still slightly ashamed at the way I moaned when I said that. He just smiled at me and went back to eating his fish. _That's odd... I would've expecting some comment from him. He's looking awfully serious. Also when did we start doing the whole calling each other "love" and "darling" thing? It feels right, but when did it even happen? He's still looking far too serious. What in Bast's name is he thinking? He's not having doubts is he?_ I forced all the thoughts out of my mind and finished my dinner. He would've told me if something was wrong. He was probably just thinking about something to do with the yard.

We finished our meal in silence, and walked arm in arm to Piccadilly. We reached the rooftop and sat down all without breaking the silence. At this point I knew something was going on, but I didn't dare ask, fearing I already knew the answer.

"Misto, there's something we need to talk about." _Merde... here it comes._ "Look, we've only been at this a day, but we've been through a lot together in these last twenty-four hours. Maybe I'll live to regret this, but I feel like I have to do this, no matter what the cost may be. Every moment with you has been absolutely perfect. From being nervous as we left on our date last night, so unsure of ourselves, to Swan Lake, being here last night, the park today, it's all been a dream. But the problem with dreams is that they always end."

"Munk..." I said softly, fighting back a fountain of tears.

"Misto, you made me feel whole for the first time in my life, and I will always be grateful for that."

"Please Munk, don't do this." I felt my whole body quivering. This couldn't be happening. Nothing felt real.

"Now, I want to prove to you how grateful I am. I don't want this dream to end Misto. I want to wake up with you by my side every morning. I want your face to be the first thing I see each day and the last thing I see each night. I want to lay beside the lake with you every summer and curl up in our den every winter. I want us to watch the flowers bloom in the spring and the leaves turn in the fall. I love you Mistoffelees, and so I'm asking, will you be my mate?"


	10. The Answer

"I know I said I wanted to move slow last night, but I just don't feel afraid any more. I've never felt anything like this before Misto and I want everyone to know I love you, so I'll ask again. Mistoffelees, will you be my mate?"

My mind couldn't handle the emotional roller coaster of Munkustrap's words. I thought he was going to break up with me, that he'd tell me he realized that it this "wasn't who he was" and he simply couldn't be with me or some such nonsense. I'd had a few seconds to emotionally prepare for that. This, though, was completely out of the blue. He'd just asked ME to be his mate. Me, who had been terrified of asking him out the day before. Me, who had literally just been thinking about asking HIM but was worried about scaring him away. I should have been over the moon. I should have leapt into his lap and kissed him as I cried tears of happiness before telling him yes.

That's what I should have been doing. But what I was actually doing was drowning in an ocean of emotional pandemonium. Part of me was still collecting myself from thinking that he was about to break up with me. Part of me was overcome with love and joy and all the other beautiful emotions I should have been experiencing. But there was a third part of me that had pulled a complete one-eighty. Did I really want to be his mate, or was this a passing fancy, nothing more than a fling to help me finish getting over Tugger? Was I really ready to commit to him for the rest of my life? We'd only been a couple for twenty four hours, for Everlasting's sake!

"I..." I couldn't manage to choke out anything more. I'd managed to stop the tears I'd been shedding when I thought he was breaking up with me, but every other part of my body seemed incapable of performing its function. I saw Munkustrap's face falling at my lack of response as my brain fumbled about, trying to form words.

He turned away and looked out over Piccadilly. "I understand Misto... It's okay. I'm not going to give up though. I love you."

My mind was screaming at me now. _What are you doing? Kiss him! Say yes already! Why are you waiting? THIS IS THE EXACT SCENARIO YOU WANTED! Isn't it...?_ I couldn't think. I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe. I felt the world around me start to spin and my sight grew blurry before it all went dark.

I felt a pair of strong arms embracing me and a cool breeze through my fur as I faded back into consciousness. I could hear a voice calling my name and smell a familiar scent. As my eyes fluttered open I expected to see a familiar mane and patented smile, but when my vision cleared I saw it was Munkustrap.

"Misto? Mistoffelees!"

"Munk...? What, what happened?"

"You just passed out. Do you... do you remember anything?" He tried to appear completely cool and collected but his nervousness was apparent.

It took me a moment, but I remembered everything. "I do Munk... We're at Piccadilly. We went to the park earlier and..." We both smiled at that. "After that we went to that alley in the West End to eat. Then we came here."

"Do you remember what happened before you passed out?"

"Yes Munk. I do," I said cautiously.

"Oh... I see..."

I took one look at him and I knew my answer. Somehow passing out had managed to clear my head enough that I could think again. I still had part of me screaming that I would regret my answer, but I ignored it. It was the only answer I could give. "I remember what you asked Munk... And I know what my answer is." He looked at me with a look similar to the one I'd given him minutes before, when I thought he was going to break my heart. I put my paw on his cheek, leaned in, and kissed him. I kissed him with every ounce of strength in my body. "Munkustrap, nothing would make me happier than being your mate. I love you." I felt my eyes watering and could see his were as well. I brought our lips together again and leaned in further, pushing him down onto his back and laying on top of him. "Munkustrap... You know we can't be mates in secret. If we're to be mates we'll have to dance before your father and the tribe. Are you sure you want to do that?"

"I know, Misto. I was afraid before, but something's changed. I don't quite know how to explain it properly, but when I'm with you I just feel safe. I feel whole. Maybe I was scared of judgement before, maybe I was scared of admitting this is who I am. Let everyone else be damned and let fear be damned too. I want you to be my mate, and I want everyone to know that I'm proud to call you my mate." His voice never faltered once as he spoke. He cupped the back of my head with one paw and ran his other over my back as he leaned up and kissed me.

I parted our lips and looked down into his eyes. He looked even more beautiful in the glow of the neon lights than he had the night before. I pressed my body against his and ran my paws over his muscular chest. I could see in his eyes that he was ready too, and looking out over the glowing city, we made love beneath the glimmering stars and shining moon.


End file.
